Sputnik V and the Path Forward: Vaccines, Variants, and National Preparedness

No time to read?
Get a summary

— Alexander Leonidovich, is the COVID-19 pandemic over?

– No. The pandemic did not end. For nearly four years COVID-19 has remained a constant presence in the human population. It not only persists, it adapts, continually evolving and altering its antigenic structure. As a result, the manifestations of the infectious process and the disease’s severity have shifted over time.

— So, has the course of the virus become easier yet?

“It has become easier in some respects, but the virus still targets most human cells as before. The long-term consequences of COVID-19 remain the same. In other words, there has been no decrease in the incidence of heart attacks and strokes tied to the spread of this virus.”

— Can the original Sputnik V, based on the Wuhan variant of the coronavirus, still protect people from today’s SARS-CoV-2 strains?

— The original Sputnik V provided protection for roughly the first two years—from its registration in August 2020 until around July 2022. Beginning in mid-2022, with the emergence of Omicron lineages 1, 2, and 3, the vaccine’s effectiveness declined eightfold. When Omicron 4 and 5 appeared, effectiveness fell by about 20 times. And with the XBB.1.5 version of Omicron, introduced in January 2023, protection ceased. This underscored the need for an updated antigenic composition in the vaccine.

— Clinical trials of the updated Sputnik V, based on the XBB.1.5 variant, are currently underway. Why hadn’t this been pursued earlier?

“Laboratory preparations for multiple vaccine options existed, and employees were vaccinated. While there was some reluctance, the country was not fully protected. It was clear that vaccine variants would need rapid deployment across the nation, faster than the original Sputnik V.

Now, clinical trials for the updated Sputnik based on XBB.1.5 are ongoing with completion anticipated on December 10.

— Does this mean people could be vaccinated with the new Sputnik on the 11th?

— The registration certificate would be issued on December 10, but civil circulation could not begin on December 11 due to Federal Law 61. Batches would be produced and testing would start on December 11, delaying civilian use by about 2.5 months. The new Sputnik would enter civilian circulation in March.

– But will a new COVID-19 variant appear by March 2024?

— There is a possibility that the March vaccine could be highly relevant or entirely irrelevant. In any case, the law must be followed.

— Could the law be altered when the Omicron lineage clearly outpaces the regulation?

“This pandemic taught a key lesson: clear rules are essential, and it is vital to develop them promptly. It is not feasible to lag behind a rapidly evolving virus with current preparations.”

— Will the XBB.1.5-based vaccine be nasal?

– A notable topic. After Denis Logunov intranasally vaccinated Vladimir Putin and the public observed, a government allocation was approved to support nasal vaccination research at the Gamaleya Center in November 2021. Funds were subsequently requested from the Ministry of Health, and an application was prepared quickly. However, the Russian Academy of Sciences then reviewed the plan and found little apparent interest, which halted the project.

— How did the Russian Academy of Sciences respond to the nasal vaccine proposal?

— The focus was on XBB.1.5. The application sought funding for research on a nasal vaccine. In September, the Academy issued a review that blocked the funding. Yet, experts acknowledge that nasal vaccination offers a fresh approach by delivering sterile immunity intranasally. This could prevent transmission more effectively than injections, which protect the vaccinated individual but may not halt spread. The potential of this approach remains a topic of epidemiological debate, especially with a vaccine technology based on adenovirus.

However, RAS experts cautioned that it would be difficult to assess effectiveness against future variants by the end of 2024, given the study’s 16-month design.

— Did Pfizer and Moderna adjust the antigenic composition of their vaccines?

– Yes, changes were made previously. A new amendment is proposed, but it cannot yet be deployed in civilian circulation.

— Were any approvals granted to permit distribution?

— Pfizer’s president, Albert Bourla, reportedly played a pivotal role: when the American FDA banned the old antigenic form, Pfizer shifted the stock to Europe, signing a deal with the EU that allowed the old stock to be sold there. The European regulator later barred the old form. From an economic perspective, the move stood out as a strategic milestone.

— Is there a second iteration of vaccines in Europe and the United States?

— Yes. A third iteration may be needed. Changing antigenic composition is not novel; the seasonal flu vaccine is updated annually. WHO coordinates the broader effort, while domestic initiatives remain essential to controlling the virus.

— How should the population approach vaccination during the colder season?

— Outside of Convasel and Novosibirsk EpiVacCorona, vaccines with existing registrations are in limited use. Some clinics offer Convasel, based on the N-protein, though antibodies against this protein do not neutralize the virus.

— Do quarantines still matter if the WHO considered the epidemic over?

— Quarantines had a purpose. In the absence of vaccines, self-isolation and masks are among the few tools available.

— When the first quarantine was announced in Moscow on April 28, 2020, was a vaccine available?

— Early on, rapid vaccine development was possible. If a vaccine could be produced in 40-45 days, general vaccination could begin in April, potentially avoiding a curfew with significant cost savings.

— Is it feasible to launch a vaccine so quickly?

“That is the pandemic’s key lesson. The path forward involves preparing a vaccine prototype bank for infections spread through airborne droplets. The aim is to reduce the introduction time to civilian circulation to 40-45 days. High-level leaders have endorsed this approach in policy documents. The concept relies on a vaccine prototype bank that enables rapid response.”

— Will such a bank store mediated vaccine prototypes that can be deployed as needed?

— The idea involves a national serum bank that collects blood samples nationwide, revealing which pathogens are present. This would allow authorities to act quickly without waiting for WHO guidance. Two generations of Gamaleya Institute leadership have advocated for a national serum bank, and the speaker continues to pursue this goal.

No time to read?
Get a summary
Previous Article

Khabib Congratulates Makhachev After UFC 294 Victory Over Volkanovski

Next Article

Alexander Golovin’s Impact at Monaco Highlighted by Teammate